The present disclosure relates to a golf exercise apparatus, and particularly to golf exercise apparatus that provides resistance to a golfer's swing.
Golf is an activity enjoyed by many people of all ages possessing varying degrees of athletic ability, strength and endurance. Although it is possible to perform a golf swing without having excessive strength, greater bodily strength and endurance allows a golfer to hit a golf ball farther and with greater accuracy and consistency for a complete round of golf.
Golfers purchase a large amount of golf paraphernalia to improve their golf swings. Existing golf paraphernalia include devices to improve the grip of the golfer by preventing the wrist of the golfer from moving to a position other than what is pre-set by the device. Special gloves also exist to direct the golfer to place his or her hands on the shaft of the golf club correctly.
External devices are currently being marketed to help train the muscles of the golfer to move along a pre-determined path that is thought to be along an optimal golf swing path. These devices restrict the swing path of the golfer to a plane within which it is thought necessary to maintain the golf club throughout the golf swing. However, no resistance is supplied in the direction of rotation of the shoulders and upper torso, or the hips, of the golfer during performance of an exercise using an external device of this type. Further, these devices fail to train the golfer to progressively accelerate the golf club during the downswing.
Extendable golf club-like devices are currently being used which extend in response to centrifugal acceleration. During a practice golf swing of a golfer, the extendable device remains coiled during the first part of the golf swing if the golf swing is performed correctly, thus teaching a golfer to begin the downswing slowly. The device then becomes fully extended at the point of most rapid acceleration of the golf club, which should occur when the clubface is in close proximity to a golf ball whose propulsion into the air is targeted as the object of the golf swing. The golfer is thus trained to accelerate the golf club at the proper time and but not along the correct swing path by the extension response of the device. The devices are configured to resist the swing through a rigid air resistance means fixed to a non-golf club handle. However, the rigid nature of the air resistance means creates aerodynamic forces that alter the swing-path of the club. The result of using the rigid air resistance means, creates poor golf swing mechanics that are inconsistent and rarely repeatable.
In summary, existing golf devices either attach to the hands, wrists or other parts of the body of a golfer, or are held by the golfer, only to either train parts of the body of the golfer to maintain a correct orientation, restrain the golf swing of the golfer to a correct swing path, or train the golfer to accelerate at the proper point of the downswing with deleterious influence on the swing-path. None of these devices can be used as the golfer practices hitting golf balls on the practice range.
What is needed in the art is a golf swing practice device that provides resistance during a downswing without altering the swing path as well as being capable of being used to hit balls in a non-simulated fashion.